Last week, the women’s golf team captured seventh place at the Anuenue Spring Break Classic tournament in Hawai’i. Sophomore Beverly Vatananugulkit scored an eagle and three birdies to sustain a one-under 771 lead. She tied for 12th place in the tournament.
The Aggies shot 13-over 301 on the first day and tied for ninth with Colorado, No. 24 Denver, and No. 39 Oregon. Vatananugulkit began with a birdie on the par-5 sixth hole and picked up two more birdies the rest of the way, coming in with a 71.
Sophomore Blair Lewis played her final 14 holes on Tuesday three shots under par, shooting a one-under to keep her in ninth place. With an impressive round, Lewis was able to jump 29 spots on the leaderboard, leading her into a tie for 33rd place at five-over 149. Vatananugulkit shot 74 and tied for 11th at the end of the day, while fellow senior Amy Simanton is tied for 49th at nine-over after carding a 77.
On the final day of the Hawai’i Classic, Vatananugulkit’s one-under 71 during the final round, lifting UC Davis to seventh in the final standings. The Aggies fired a five-over 293 over the final 18 holes and 26-over 890 for the 54-hole tournament.
Senior Demi Runas had three birdies, including one on her second hole of the day and another one on her 17th, while junior Jessica Chulya tied for 53rd at 14-over.
“The course was fantastic and we learned a lot of course knowledge from the first round to the third round,” said head coach Anna Temple.
On April 12, the women’s golf team will compete in the PING/ASU Invitational at Arizona State. Last year, the Aggies tied for fifth place after beating two top-10 teams. Runas had a two-over 74 to claim co-medalist honors with a one-under total. Senior Amy Simanton had a team-best 73 during Sunday’s final round of the PING/ASU Invitational.
The No.1-ranked UCLA Bruins captured first place, finishing the day with a three-under 565.
UC Davis, which shot 19-over 303 during Sunday’s windy final round, tied No. 3 USC at 29-over 881 while finishing ahead of No. 8 LSU and No. 7 Vanderbilt.
Runas posted her third straight top-10 finish and her fifth of the season. This marked the second time she’s finished five-under, along with her showing at Colorado State. In addition, Simanton had an outstanding effort for UC Davis, carding birdies on two of the course’s three par-5 holes while playing both the front and back just one-over.
Overall, the tournament was a success for the Aggies, as several teammates shined throughout the course of their stay in Arizona.
This year ought to be no different. With solid wins under their belt and solid performances from their stars, the Aggies should perform well at the three-day invitational. The team will look to develop consistency and momentum as they head into the Big West Championships the week after.
The Big West Championship will be held in San Luis Obispo from April 22 to 23. Expect thrilling performances from the Aggie women as they commence their journey to Arizona for the PING/ASU Invitational hosted by Arizona State.
VEENA BANSAL can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
